Confession time – I struggle with how my walk with Christ should look like on a somewhat regular basis. Do I spend enough time in prayer? Do I read enough chapters in my Bible every week? Do I fellowship with others as much as I should? The questions I have seem to be endless…
Tim’s sermon placed a great emphasis on the answers that I personally needed for my spiraling thought process; and I’m realizing that this is a relative conversation since Matthew chose to document Jesus’ discussion on this topic. There are plenty of traditions that we can participate in, but the most important thing we can do is keep God at the center of our life. The heart of the matter is much more important than the act itself! (Matthew 15:1-6)
As imperfect humans, we place more faith in our religious traditions than we do in God our Father. In some instances, we can even limit our faith and what we believe God can do when we place traditions at the center. I do this. That idea of ‘do I pray enough?’ means that I think God cannot move within the time I do have to pray. I should remember that “the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words” (Romans 8:26). I am so loved that the Spirit fills the void that I can’t fill on my own.
So, if you are like me when it comes to trying to balance your walk with Christ, start here: “Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)